The present invention relates to spinal surgery and, in particular, it concerns a system and method for performing various minimally invasive spinal surgical procedures.
The past several years have witnessed a multitude of novel ideas and techniques for improved care for patients with spinal conditions. Some of these advances have improved the quality of life of patients suffering from degenerative disk disease with disabling low back pain. The current trend is towards less invasive approaches with less iatrogenic soft-tissue morbidity, as compared to traditional procedures with or without fusion of vertebral bones.
Despite a wide range of procedures performed today as minimally invasive spinal surgery (“MISS”) procedures, there remain fundamental limitations to the available options in a number of respects. Firstly, while a posterior approach is preferred for minimizing iatrogenic soft-tissue morbidity, it has been found difficult to achieve precise positioning of devices anterior to the spinal cord using a posterior approach. Furthermore, the available techniques for anchoring implants in position within the spinal column are limited in their reliability and tend to generate problematic local debris.
There is therefore a need for an apparatus and method for minimally invasive spinal surgery which would provide a guide element for providing a well defined reference location within the spinal column for performance of a MISS procedure anterior to the spinal cord.